Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1887-10-07
"REMINISCENCES OF PUBLIC MEN.
Y BEN: PERLEY pooRE.

was celebrated at Washington, on the
18th of February, 184S. Minute guns
were fired, the Executive Departments
were put in mourning, and many OF the
private buildings in Pennsylvania
avenue were also hung with black. The
stores were closed, and all business
suspended. The various societies and
public bodies commenced forming at
II o'clock, and moved toward the
Capitol under military escort. The
crowd in and around the Capitol was
unprecedented. Many people had come
IN from the country around to witness
the ceremonies. A large portion of the
Legislature of Maryland and many
citizens from Annapolis and Baltimore
were present. At ten minutes before
~ o'clock the Speaker called the House
to order, at which moment the bell on
Capitol Hill commenced it's solemn toll
ing, as the signal for the commence
ment of the ceremonies. The Presi-
dent of the United States and heads of
the departments entered the hall, the
former taking his seat on the right of
the Speaker. The judges of the Su-
preme Court in their gowns, the officers
OF the Army and Navy in full uniform,
the foreign ministers and their suites in
splendid costume, followed, and took
their seats upon the right and left of
the area, in front of the Speakers
chair. The Senate of the United
States then entered, with the Vice
President, the latter taking his seat on
the Speakers left. Mr.. G. F. Adams
and others of the family, and friends of
the deceased, occupied range of seats
provided for them on the left of the
area After q pause Of some minutes,
Senators Webster and Davis, and
Massachusetts, delegation, as mourners,
and in black scarfs and bands, entered
the hall preceding the coffin, which was
brought in in charge of the pall-bearers
and the committee of arrangements.
The coffin was placed on the bier in the
area in front of the Speaker. After
depositing the coffin, those who had it
in charge remained standing around it
for q number of minutes in impressive
silence, while the whole assembly rose.
The coffin, which was of lead, enclosed
in mahogany, was silver mounted and
covered with black silk velvet trimmed
with silver. A silver heart-shaped
plate, decorated with spread eagle,
bore the following inscription, which
was written, at the request of the
Massachusetts, delegation, by Daniel
Webster, to wit:
John Quincy Adams,
Born,
An inhabitant of Massachusetts, July II. 1867.
Died,
A citizen of the United States
In the Capitol at Washington,
February %, ls4s,
Having served his country for half century,
Enjoyed its highest Honors.
The hangings over the Speakers
chair were shrouded in black, as also
was the figure of history, over the prin-
cipal entrance, and the portraits of
Washington and Lafayette, etc. The
Chaplain of the House opened the serv-
ice with prayer. This was followed
by a solemn dirge sung by choir in
the ladies' gallery. An appropriate
address was delivered by the chaplain,
occupying about fifty minutes. The
closing hymn was sung by the choir,
and the funeral procession was then
formed, moving through the rotunda to
the east portico Of the Capitol, where
the carriages were in waiting. The
funeral car, though simple, was very
tasteful and elegant. The bier was de-
corated with funeral urns, and the
canopy over the coffin was surmounted
by an eagle, the whole being covered
with velvet and Grape. The car was
drawn by six elegant white horses,
caparisoned in black, and led by grooms
in white scarfs. The funeral cortege,
preceded by troop of horses and
battalion Of infantry, moved in long
and imposing procession to the Con-
gressional cemetery. The coffin was
then deposited in the receiving vault,
after the performance of the burial
service of the Protestant Episcopal
Church, but was subsequently removed
to the family tomb at Quincy, Mass.
George Ashmun used to tell story
about an auctioneer who was provok-
ingly annoyed while in the exercise of
his profession by the ludicrous bids of a
fellow whose sole object seemed to be
to make sport for the buyers rather
than himself to buy. At length, en-
ragged beyond endurance, the knight of
the ivoryheaded hammer, looking
round the room for a champion to
avenge his wrongs, fixed his eyes upon
a biped of huge dimensions, q very
monarch in strength, and cried out
"Marlow, what shall give you to put
that fellow out?" II take one SIS bill"
"Done! done! you shall have it." As
Stunning the ous,-knitting his
brows, spreading his nostrils like a
lions, and putting on the wolf all over
his head and shoulders MARROW
strobe off to the aggressor, and, Selling
the terrified wretch by the collar, said
to him in a whisper that was heard all
over the room. "Nly good frin, you go
out with me I give you half the money!"
"Done! done!" said the fellow. "Hur-
rah! hurrah!" shouted the audience.
The auctioneer had the good sense to
join in the laugh, and cooliy forked out
the Y.
Gambling Hells in Paris.
The Paris gambling bells are rather